Churches to host Commemorative Programs
First Baptist Church Homer
First
Baptist Church in Homer will host a fish fry and program on Thursday, September
8, in honor of all law enforcement, firefighters and emergency personnel.
Beginning at 6:30 p.m., the fish dinner comes with all the trimmings, and is
free. There is no cost to attend the program and is open to the public. J.
Durell Tuberville, chaplain for the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, will be the
guest speaker.
First Baptist Church Haynesville
First
Baptist Church in Haynesville will host a community-wide commemorative program
at 2:30 p.m. to remember those lost on that fateful day and honor all law
enforcement, firefighters, and emergency personnel -- all of our public
servants. Dr. Sterling Claypoole, formerly of Haynesville, will be the guest
speaker. All law enforcement, firefighters and emergency personnel are invited
to attend this day of remembrance. This service is also to recognize and say
thank you to our public servants.
Haynesville man perishes in crash
A
single-vehicle crash in Claiborne Parish claimed the life of a 58-year-old
Haynesville man.
Louisiana
State Police Troop G responded to the crash at 4:17 p.m., on Saturday, September
3, which occurred on La. 2 just west of Homer.
Troopers’
preliminary investigation revealed that James E. Beene was traveling west on
La. 2 while operating a 2000 Ford Crown Victoria, when he entered a curve to
the right.
Upon
exiting the curve, for unknown reasons, Beene lost control of the vehicle and
traveled off the left side of the roadway. The vehicle traveled down a grassy
embankment sideways and came to rest after colliding with a tree on its
driver’s side.
Beene
was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash but sustained fatal injuries.
He was pronounced dead at the scene by the Claiborne Parish Coroner.
Speed
and alcohol use are suspected to be factors in the crash. Toxicology results
are pending and the crash remains under investigation.
In Louisiana,
303 of the 720 people killed (42 percent) in 2010 were involved in
alcohol-related crashes. Troopers encourage all motorists to make responsible
decisions by buckling up, driving the speed limit and refraining from impaired
and aggressive driving.
Although
this year’s nationwide enforcement effort “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over”
campaign remains in effect, troopers still need your help to make vehicular
travel as safe as possible.
Troop G
troopers have investigated 20 fatal crashes for the year 2011, which resulted
in 23 fatalities.
Blaze keeps firefighters busy
The Guardian-Journal photo/K.H. Hightower
Claiborne Parish Fire District #6
firefighters battled a blaze on Hwy. 2, near Lisbon Landing on Monday. District
#6 Fire Chief Larry Greer said the fire took place late Monday afternoon and
burned into the early evening. Greer said apparently a power line sparked the
blaze. With high winds and extremely dry conditions, the fire spread over an
estimated three to three and one half acres. No injuries were reported.
Lake Claiborne flood gates open
In
agreement with Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, the Louisiana Department of
Transportation and the Claiborne Parish Watershed District, they have announced
that the Lake Claiborne flood gates opened on Tuesday, September 6.
The
gates will remain open until mid-January 2012.
For
more information, please contact a watershed district member or the Department
of Wildlife and Fisheries at 318-371-3049 or the Louisiana DOTD.
Butterfly Festival this Saturday
The Guardian-Journal
Haynesville’s
13th Annual Celebration of Butterflies is this Saturday, so get ready for lots
of fun and activities.
To be
held at the Claiborne Parish Fairgrounds in Haynesville, admission for adults
is $4, and $1 for children ages 6-18. Children ages six and under are free.
The day
is packed full of fun activities for kids of all ages (adults too!), beginning
with the parade to be held at 9 a.m. Dump Hatter, renowned vocalist and inspiration
for the book “The Famous Caterpillar,” will be the grand marshal. The
butterfly-themed parade will include a pet parade with trophies awarded for the
largest, smallest, most unusual and best-decorated pets.
To
enter, please contact Linda Knox at 318-624-1606.
At 10
a.m., Michael Seal, owner and operator of “The Funny Farm,” will be speaking on
Bromeliads: Easier to Grow than to Produce.
At
10:30 a.m. until noon, will be Creative Fun for Children.
From
11:30 a.m. until 12:15 p.m., cheerleaders will be performing on stage, and at
the same time, speaker James Dean will talk about Bluebird Trails Across
America. Currently, he is building the boxes from scrap from a friend’s
sawmill. Dean will be bringing cypress nesting boxes to the festival for sale
at $5 each.
After
lunch, from 1 until 1:45 p.m., Greg Grant will speak about “Flapping about My
Favorite Butterfly Plants.” From 1 until 1:30 p.m., Silver Belles will be Line
Dancing on stage.
From 2
until 2:30 p.m., Gems of Cairo will return to the stage. From 2:40 until 3:10
p.m., Strumdingers Ukulele Band will take the stage.
From
3:20 until 4:15, Charles Allen, PhD, will speak about Wildflowers of Louisiana.
From
4:15 until 5 p.m., Loice Kendrick-Lacy will speak about “A Butterfly Buffet:
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” From 5 until 6:30 p.m., a supper break will be
taken, followed by country, bluegrass and gospel music from 6:30 p.m. until.
Also of
interest will be the photography contest. A nature photography contest and
exhibit will be held with monetary awards made to the winners in four age
groups. For forms and more information, please contact Mary Anna Perryman, at
318-377-1006, 299 Perryman Drive, Dubberly, LA 71024.
Also, a
container gardening contest will be held. An entry must be from your own garden
and can feature any type of flowering of foliage plants growing in a container.
The
rules are simple:
• You
may enter any “live” plant or shrub that is in a container.
• The
finished design should be available to be viewed from all sides.
• The
competitors are to have their designs to the Haynesville Fair Barn no later
than 11 a.m. Saturday.
•
Judging will take place at 1:30 p.m.
•
Competitors may pick up their displays after 3 p.m. the same day.
Prizes
include $100 for first place, $50 for second place and $25 for third place.
To
enter or for more information, please contact Beverlee Killgore during the day
at 318-624-1122, or during the evening at 318-624-2432, 2222 Main Street in
Haynesville, LA 71038.
On
display for touring from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. will be a locomotive from
L&NW on the day of the festival. It will be located on the tracks across
from the fair building.
Other
festival highlights include lots of fun for the kids, including karaoke under
the pavilion, bumper to bumper kiddie rides from James Roach, spacewalk,
sidewalk art competition and other outdoor activities. Also, don’t forget about
the sale of butterfly plants, books, T-shirts, community art and photography
exhibits, craft and food vendors, and take-home butterfly towers (complete with
caterpillars and food).
Sponsors
for this year’s festival includes the Claiborne Chamber of Commerce and the
Haynesville Garden Club.
For
more information on the festival or for directions, please contact Loice
Kendrick-Lacy at 318-624-1929 or (870) 234-4910. Mailing address is 203 Troy
Street in Magnolia, Ark., 71753. Also, those
interested may visit the parish’s website at www.claiborneone.org or
www.haynesvillela.org, and click on “Attractions.”
Cutting wood leads to blaze
The Guardian-Journal
On Tuesday afternoon, the Homer Fire
Department was dispatched to a residence on Harris Road in reference to an
outdoor fire. According to Fire Chief Dennis Butcher, a man at the scene said
he and others were cutting wood when they sat down to take a break. Butcher
said the fire was apparently started by a cigarette. There were no injuries
reported. Please remember that Claiborne Parish is still under a parish wide
burn ban, and any outdoor burning is prohibited. If caught, the offender faces
a fine of up to $500.
Town of Homer gets CWEF grant
A
Message from Mayor Alecia N. Smith…
The
Town of Homer was approved for the FY 2010-2011 Community Water Enrichment Fund
(CWEF) for $35,000. The funds will be used to make improvements to the Mayfield
Well and Lyons Hill Road lines.
Currently,
the Town of Homer is faced with an aged infrastructure with respect to the
water system and structures. There are storage tanks and water distribution
lines that are in serious need of rehabilitation and upgrade. These upgrades
will enhance the water quality and distribution provided to the citizens and
businesses in the Town of Homer.
Through
the funding of this program, the project for the Town of Homer water system
will be: improvements to the Mayfield Well Ground Storage Tank, cleaning and
repairing to the East Storage Tank, cleaning the interior and exterior of the
West Tank and purchasing a Chlorine A-Kit 150 lb. cylinder. It will also
include Lyons Hill Road upgrade to the water distribution line from a one-inch
line to at least a two-inch line.
Tree breaks in high winds
The Guardian-Journal photo/Michelle Bates
This is what’s left of a tree in Homer,
near the home of the Minchew’s. The rain and high winds on Saturday left
several roadways in Claiborne Parish full of debris. The rain and wind were a
result of the outskirts of Tropical Storm Lee which made landfall over the
Labor Day weekend. Lee was a slow-moving storm that moved to the northeast,
ravaging several states and dumping at least 20 inches of rain on New Orleans
and other coastal areas in the Gulf.
